Device and method for measuring heel to forefoot height differential of a shoe

ABSTRACT

A device in the form of a parallelogram for use with an inclinometer for measuring angle of a height differential between two points of a surface such as the angle of heel to forefoot height differential of a shoe.

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/229,720,filed Aug. 26, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/412,807, filed Apr. 27, 2006, which claimspriority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/680,232,filed May 12, 2005, and such priority is hereby claimed. The disclosuresof all of the above applications, as well as all patents/publishedapplications disclosed herein, are hereby incorporated herein byreference. Applicant is the patentee of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,387,309 and8,191,918.

The present invention relates generally to ski boots and other shoes orfootwear (for example, work shoes, sneakers, roller blades, and iceskates) as well as the attachment of ski boots to skis. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to the sizing of thefootwear to achieve improved balance and/or mobility and/or flexion aswell as the attachment of ski boots to skis to achieve improved balance.

Typical ski equipment set-ups leave many people in very poor fore/aftpositions, i.e., leaving many people inclined too far backward. Thismakes it difficult to balance with the result that it is harder to learnto ski, with more tiring and an increased risk of injury. To achievebetter balance, the skier's feet should often be inclined relative tothe skis so that the heel portion of a ski boot is raised relative tothe height of the toe portion thereof. The correct fore and aft positionwill vary depending on the skier's body type. It is thus considereddesirable for a skier to be able to adjust his or her fore and aftposition (i.e., adjust the height of the heel end portion of the skiboot) to achieve the correct balance for him or her. Such an adjustmentmay be characterized as an adjustment of the angle of the leg relativeto the ski or ground.

Various devices of interest relative to adjusting the heel portionheight are disclosed in my aforesaid patent as well as in the art citedtherein.

Additional art which may be of interest (generally relative to footcontour, as discussed hereinafter) to the present invention includesU.S. Pat. Nos. 4,821,420; 5,941,835; 5,979,067; 6,205,230; 6,219,929;6,334,257; 2004/0193075; 6,829,377; 2006/0030793; 7,125,509;2006/0225297; and 7,335,167. The hoof angles of horses have beenmodified by trimming the hoofs.

As discussed at pages 10 to 14 of the booklet Masterfit University theBootfitters Bible—The Master's Course, Master Fit Enterprises,Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., 1994-2003, the foot has a very intricate networkof 26 bones which slip and slide relative to each other. When performingproperly, these bones allow very intricate movements easily of the foot.However, if not suitably positioned relative to each other, these bonesmay also collide with each other or jam together, resulting in traumasuch as callus formation and may result in loss of optimum mobilityand/or flexion and/or balance. This booklet recommends orthotics andcustom footpads for callus formations and, in severe cases, a metatarsalpad and/or a depression. Other suggested solutions include adjusting forpronation with custom footbeds or varus wedges and to use thicker insoleand/or eliminator to compensate for a low volume foot. Motions in agroup of bones known as the subtalar-transverse tarsal joint complex aresaid to allow the foot to absorb impacts, accommodate for unevensurfaces, and act as a rigid lever, and it is in this complex wherelocking and unlocking of the foot may commonly occur. It is thusimportant that the foot bones be properly positioned relative to eachother to achieve optimum movements while skiing or otherwise. Whileadjustment of the relationship of the leg relative to the ski or groundfor improved balance is important, as discussed above, it is alsoconsidered important that optimum positioning of the foot bones relativeto each other be achieved. Optimum positioning of the foot bonesrelative to each other is generally related to the contour of thefootboard or footbed or bootboard, i.e., the upper surface of the soleor built-up sole within a piece of footwear upon which the foot or aninsole rests, an insole being a removable piece (on which the footrests) which is placed to lie over the sole generally for comfort.

In W. Witherell et al, The Athletic Skier, The Athletic Skier, Inc.,Salt Lake City, Utah, 1993, at pages 24 to 44, it is discussed that thedesired heel lift (the difference between the heel and forefoot levels)significantly affects fore and aft balance, that some feet are bestbalanced and aligned when the heel and forefoot are on the same planewhile others are best balanced and aligned when the heel is higher thanthe forefoot. Also discussed therein is a way of measuring a person'sheel to forefoot differential by having the person stand on variousthicknesses of stacks of paper and then the person sensing theirbalance, i.e., when the right balance is achieved, “your body will know(the human body senses balance very precisely).” A heel lift under theheel is shown on page 26 thereof. On page 33 thereof, a photo of feetwith the left foot supinated and the right foot pronated is shown andanother photo is shown with the feet well aligned with proper orthotics.An adjustable cuff is discussed on pages 42 to 44 wherein, after thefootbeds or orthotics are put into the boots, the cuff is adjusted sothat the space between the leg and shell is equal on both sides.

The Athletic Skier fails to disclose or suggest suitable methods ormeasuring devices to accurately determine the needs of a person's footand determine accurately what suitable angles/contours should be on thesurface (footboard or footpad) in the footwear that the foot rests upon.For example, one thing this reference fails to take into considerationis that, as the heel to forefoot differential changes, so too does thecontour of the foot's arch.

Heel lifts of varying thicknesses and tapers are marketed by AetrexWorldwide, Inc. of Teaneck, N.J. (www.aetrex.com) and Ski-Kare ofGolden, Colo. Aetrex Worldwide, Inc. claims to have patented what itcalls the “iStep Evolution-RX” digital foot scanning technology, whichit says on its website is in order to help consumers identify their archtype, shoe size, and pressure points and to custom select/order theideal footwear and orthotics, including insoles, for their feet. Thefootwear is custom made from the digital information.

A lift to accommodate leg length discrepancy up to ⅜ inch (it has 3layers with instructions to peel away one layer for ¼ inch or two layersfor ⅛ inch), finished with a leather cover, is marketed, under the nameAdjust-a-Lift, and under the trade name Treadeasy by Prime MaterialsCorporation of Batavia, N.Y. See their Treadeasy Catalog 08-09 at page19 (or see their web page at www.treadeasy.com—under Product Catalog,Materials, Metatarsal Supports, Adjust-a-Lift).

The heel lifts are typically placed between the heel and the insole. Thethicker part of a wedge-shaped or tapered heel lift is typically placedtoward the rear. Typically, a person is instructed to put a heel liftin, go skiing, and leave the heel lift in if the skiing is improved.

The cuff is typically attached to the shell of a ski boot with cammedfasteners or knobs or studs, such as in the Vento ski boot marketed bythe Italian company Technica, having a web site of www.technica.it,which are advertised (Technica, Vento Instruction Manual) to allowlongitudinal flex of the boot to be adjusted and to allow the cuff to beadjusted from a neutral position to an inwards or outwards tilt. Theboot is further advertised (in the above instruction manual) as havingan upper liner construction to ensure perfect adaptation to the femalecalf and to have a patented ratchet system that may be adjusted to 3different positions to adapt to any type of leg. The boot is furtheradvertised (in the above instruction manual) as providing a specificinsert to be applied onto a wedge inside the shell so that the fit inthe heel area may be customized more to the female anatomy. Such flexand tilt adjustments may have the incidental consequence merely as aresult of their functioning of effecting a small movement of the cuff710 vertically relative to the shell 702 of typically less than about ¼inch.

If a foot orthotic insole is made flat and then placed in footwear witha raised footboard in the heel area, the insole may no longer follow thefoot's contour correctly and may accordingly still result in jammed footbones, thus not suitably correcting the balance and/or mobility and/orflexion.

An insole may typically be custom made to fit the impression of the footfrom a custom insole blank, which is a flat flexible or cushion sheet ofuniform thickness which may have an underlying more rigid thin sheet forthe heel and arch to hold the form in these areas (or the more rigidsheet may extend all the way to the toe area). In order to custom formthe sheet, the foot is first placed into a beaded bladder (or otherform) to form an impression of the foot lower surface. Then the sheet issuitable heated such as by placing in hot water or in an oven at arecommended temperature (for example, about 180 degrees F.) so that itmay be conformable, and the conformable blank is then put into theimpression and allowed to cool, thus taking on the shape of the footlower surface. Undesirably, such a custom made insole for a orthoticallylifted heel still may not conform properly with the thusly altered soleand may accordingly still result in jammed foot bones, thus not suitablycorrecting the balance and/or mobility and/or flexion.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to accuratelydetermine the foot's optimum position and to provide an insert orinserts or otherwise adjust the footboard so that it receives the footin that optimum position.

It is another object of the present invention to prepare or adjust thefootboard so that it follow's the foot's contour correctly.

It is a further object of the present invention to conform an insole tothe altered footboard to properly correct balance and/or mobility and/orflexion.

It is yet another object of the present invention to optimize mobilityand flexion and balance in skiers as well as other persons.

It is still another object to more easily determine heel to forefootheight differential and heel angle in footwear.

It is another object of the present invention to mass market a higherquality of shoes.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent in the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the appendeddrawings in which the same reference numerals depict the same or similarparts throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of a ski binding, with a bootschematically shown attached to the binding, according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a view thereof taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a ski binding inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the boot plate thereof.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a ski binding inaccordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view thereof taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 6A is a top view of one of a pair of brackets for the ski bindingof FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a ski binding inaccordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a nut used in the binding of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a conventional ski brake for the ski.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an attachment to the ski brake for usewhen using the present invention.

FIG. 10A is a view similar to that of FIG. 10 of an alternativeembodiment of the attachment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective expanded view of a lateral adjustment mechanismwhich may be used with the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view, with a side wall of the housing removed, of anend portion of the adjustment mechanism.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the other end portion of the adjustmentmechanism.

FIG. 14 is a partial view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a ski binding inaccordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the height adjustment mechanism for thebinding of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a binding attachment plate (partiallyshown) in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,in combination with a toe end pivot structure.

FIG. 17 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a ski binding inaccordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged detail perspective exploded view of the skibinding of FIG. 17 illustrating attachment of a heel adjustment blockthereof to the ski.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the block of FIG. 18received on a rail attachable to a ski.

FIG. 20 is a view similar to that of FIG. 19 of an alternativeembodiment of the ski binding of FIG. 17 wherein another embodiment ofthe block and rail is illustrated.

FIG. 21 is a partial view illustrating height adjustable attachment ofbinding to a ski in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a partly sectional view, with portions removed for purposesof clarity, taken along lines A-A of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged detail view, partly sectional, of the upper blockof the embodiment of FIG. 21, similarly as shown in FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a partial view taken along lines 24-24 of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a view similar to that of FIG. 23 of an alternativeembodiment thereof.

FIG. 26 is a partial sectional view of the ski binding of FIGS. 14 and15 illustrating an alternative attachment to the ski.

FIG. 27 is a side view, partly in section and partly schematic, of theboot.

FIG. 28 is a partial exploded view of the boot, illustrating attachmentof the cuff to the shell of the boot.

FIG. 29 is a side view of apparatus in accordance with the presentinvention for taking measurements relative to foot contour in an optimalposition, illustrating the use of a measuring device (shown partially)therewith.

FIG. 30 is a plan view thereof and illustrating in phantom lines theplacement of a foot thereon for measuring.

FIG. 31 is a side view of the foot marked for placement on theapparatus.

FIG. 32 is a side elevation view of a device for measuring the heel toforefoot differential and other footboard angles.

FIG. 33 is a schematic side view, from inside the boot, illustrating useof the angle measuring device to measure height differential.

FIG. 34 is a view similar to that of FIG. 33 illustrating the anglemeasuring device inverted to measure the angle of the portion of thefootboard upon which it rests.

FIG. 35 is a side view of an attachment to the angle measuring device(the device shown partially) for determining difference height-wisebetween optimum and actual heel to forefoot differential.

FIG. 36 is a bottom end view of the attachment, taken along lines 36-36of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a partial end view of an alternative embodiment of the anglemeasuring device.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a foam casting block and of a devicefor preparing the foam casting block for making an insert for tailoringthe boot and illustrating how the foam casting block is prepared formaking the insert.

FIG. 39 is a detail view of a portion of the device of FIG. 38.

FIG. 40 is a side view of the foam casting block lying on the apparatus(shown schematically) of FIG. 29 and illustrating in phantom lines themaking of an impression of the lower surface of the foot in the castingblock.

FIG. 41 is a view similar to that of FIG. 40 illustrating the casting ofa cast form containing the foot impression.

FIG. 42 is a side schematic view illustrating the transference of thefoot impression from the cast form to an insole blank to form an insolehaving the foot impression.

FIG. 43 is a schematic side view of a shoe with the footboard altered inaccordance with the contour determined on the apparatus of FIG. 29 andwith the insole having the foot impression placed therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Height adjustment on a ski of the heel end portion of a ski bootrelative to the toe end portion thereof is discussed hereinafter withreference to FIGS. 1 to 26.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown generally at 20 a mechanismattaching a boot, illustrated at 25, to a ski 22, the toe and heelbinding being conventional and illustrated at 24 and 26 respectively andcorresponding to the toe and heel portions respectively of the boot 25.It is of course to be understood that the attachment of a boot to a ski,in accordance with the present invention, is via the use conventionallyof bindings, as discussed hereinafter.

The mechanism 20 includes an elongate plate 28 to which the bindings 24and 26 are suitably and conventionally attached in accordance withprinciples commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art to whichthe present invention pertains, the plate 28 having a toe end portion 30to which the toe binding 24 is attached and a heel end portion 32 towhich the heel binding 26 is attached. The plate 28 has a width andlength equal generally to the width and length of the bindings for theboot 25 to be bound thereto (which is generally equal to the width andlength of the boot).

For purposes of providing a means for attachment of the elongate plateend portions 30 and 32 to the ski 22, as hereinafter discussed,corresponding plates 34 and 36 respectively are fixedly attached to theski 22 such as by screws 38 or other suitable means. The width of eachof the plates 34 and 36 is generally equal to the width of the elongateplate 28, and the length of each of the plates 34 may, for example, begenerally equal to the width thereof, or otherwise as suitable. Eachplate 34 and 36 may, for example, have 4 of the screws 38, one at eachcorner, or other suitable number of screws.

The toe end portion 30 is pivotly connected to the plate 34 by aconventional pivot or hinged connection, illustrated at 40, including ahinge pin 41, to allow the elongate plate 28 to be adjusted through theangle illustrated at 42 so that the height of the skier's heel relativeto the skier's toes may be adjusted to achieve the optimum balance forthe particular skier. The hinged connection 40 may, for example, besimilar to the hinged connection illustrated in the aforesaid U.S. Pat.No. 4,353,575 and discussed at column 3, lines 1 to 5, thereof, whichpatent is hereby incorporated herein by reference. For another example,the hinged connection may be similar to a conventional door hinge, suchas shown at 86 in FIGS. 5 and 6. In order to accommodate most skiers,the angle 42 is preferably adjustable up to at least about 10 degrees.

In order to provide an easy to use, stable, uncomplicated, reliablemeans for adjustment of the height of the heel end portion 32 relativeto the toe end portion 30 through the angle 42, in accordance with thepresent invention, a height adjustment assembly, illustrated generallyat 43, is provided wherein the heel end portion 32 is attached to theski plate 36 by upper and lower members 44 and 46 respectively havingcomplementary teeth or serrations, illustrated at 48, on facing sidesfor interlockingly engaging each other. The lower serrated member 46 ispivotly attached to ski plate 36 by a conventional pivot or hingedconnection, illustrated at 50, which may be similar to hinged connectionor otherwise as suitable. The upper serrated member 44 is attached tothe elongate plate heel end portion 32 as hereinafter discussed. Themembers 44 and 46 are fixedly attached at an adjusted position by atleast one but preferably a pair of bolts 52 and corresponding nuts 54 orother suitable fasteners, the shanks of the bolts 52 received inapertures (not shown) in member 44 and in vertically elongatedadjustment slots, illustrated at 56, in the other member 46. It shouldbe evident that the adjustment slots 56 may be provided in either of themembers 44 and 46 and that the bolts 52 and nuts 54 may be interchanged.It should also be understood that either the bolt heads or the nuts maydesirably be conventionally fixed to the respective member so as to befree from turning thereby making height adjustment easier for the skier.The width, illustrated at 58, of each of the members 44 and 46 isgenerally equal to the width of the elongate member 28 to therebyprovide stability. Thus, it can be seen that the members may be attachedby the bolts 52 and nuts 54 at any of various heights to which the heelportion 32 is to be desirably adjusted, with the serrations 48 on theupper member 44 bearingly and interlockingly engaging the complementaryserrations 48 on the lower member 46 to stably provide the neededsupport. The serrations 48 are desirably sized, in accordance withprinciples commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art to whichthe present invention pertains, to provide height adjustments of, forexample, as little as ⅛ degree.

It is important that the ski 22 be able to flex as much as possible tomake turning easier, and modern skies are typically constructed tomaximize their flexing ability. During flexing of the ski, the distancebetween the plates 34 and 36 varies. In order to compensate for thisvariance in distance so that the ski 22 may be enabled to sufficientlyflex as well as to evenly flex, the upper serrated member 44 is slidablyattached to the heel portion 32 by an overhanging upper portion 60 ofupper member 44 which is slidably received in a track, illustrated at62, on the lower surface of heel portion 32. The track 62 comprises apair of underhang portions 64 which are spaced apart a distance which isless than the width of the member overhanging portion 60 so that theportion 60 is retained slidably within the track 62. The track 62 may beopen-ended at one or both ends to allow the member portion 60 to beinserted into the track 62 and is desirably long enough so that themember portion 60 does not come out of the track 62 during skiing.

In order to adjust the angle 42 so as to adjust the height of theskier's heel relative to the toes for improved balance as well as toachieve increased leverage, even while on the ski slopes, the skier mayeasily and quickly loosen the nuts 54, incrementally raise or lower theupper member 44 relative to the lower member 46, tighten the nuts 54 onthe bolts 52 to firmly secure the members 44 and 46 in the newlyadjusted position, and then go about enjoying skiing even more at theimproved balance and leverage and with the upper member portion 60sliding within the track 62 so that flexing of the ski for betterturning is not unduly hampered.

It should be understood that the boot and ski plates 28, 34, and 36 arenot essential to the present invention and that the toe binding 24 maybe directly or otherwise pivotly connected to the ski 22 and theserrated members 44 and 46 directly or otherwise connected to the heelbinding 26 and ski 22 respectively. The device of the present inventionneed not be a separate device but may instead be built into the skiand/or binding. Thus, a reference to the toe or heel end portion or to aski in the claims is meant to also refer to plates attached orattachable thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown generally at 70 analternative embodiment of the height adjustment assembly. The assembly70, like the assembly 43 of FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises upper and lowerserrated members 44 and 46 respectively attached by fasteners 52 and 54and with the lower serrated member 46 pivotly mounted to the ski plate36. In accordance with this alternative embodiment, the upper serratedmember 44 is slidably attached to the heel end portion 32 of the bootplate 28 by a pair of tubular portions 72 suitably formed or otherwiseattached on opposite sides respectively of the upper serrated member 44and a pair of round rods 74 suitably formed or otherwise attached incut-outs 76 respectively on opposite sides respectively of the heel endportion 32 of the boot plate 28 and which are slidably received in thetubular portions 72 respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, and 6A, there is shown generally at 80 analternative embodiment of the height adjustment assembly. The assembly80 comprises a pair of channel members 82 having side flanges 83 and thelower end portions 84 of which are pivotly attached to the ski plate bya suitable conventional pivot or hinge assembly 86, which is shown to besimilar to a conventional door hinge. Thus, a hinge pin or pivot rod 96,providing a common pivot axis, is suitably received in apertures,illustrated at 95, in the side flanges 83 of each of the members 82 andin apertures, illustrated at 97, in alternate eyelet or tubular portions99 on the bottom edges of the members 82, and at each end the hinge pin96 is received in apertures, illustrated at 101, in eyelet members 103which are welded or otherwise suitably attached to plate 36. The pin 96is desirably (but not required to be) secured against removal from thehinge by suitable means such as, for example, a head 111 and washer 113on one end and a nut (not shown) and washer (not shown) at the otherend. Thus, the structural members 82 may be pivotly spread apart orcontracted, as illustrated at 105 in FIG. 5, by pivotal movement on thehinge pin 96.

The upper end portions 88 of the members 82 are attached to the heel endportion 32 of plate 28, as hereinafter discussed. Intermediate theheight of the members 82, elongate members 91 and 92 such as bars ortubular members are mounted to extend between the respective flanges 83of the members 82 respectively and are suitably attached to therespective flanges 83 such as by screws (not shown) so that they canpivot (i.e., are rotatable about the longitudinal axis). The head endportion 107 of an adjustment bolt or screw 90 is received in anunthreaded aperture in member 92 and a nut 94, similar to nut 134 inFIG. 8, placed thereon so that the screw 90 rotates in place with themember 92 sandwiched between the bolt head and the nut 94. The screw 90is threadedly received in a threaded aperture centrally located inrotatable member 91 to draw the members together or apart, asillustrated at 105) to increase or decrease respectively the distancebetween the plates 28 and 36 and thereby adjust the heel height, themembers 91 and 92 being rotatable (pivotal) to allow alignment of theapertures therein during adjustment. Suitable openings, illustrated at109 for one of the channel members, are provided in the channel members82 for unfettered passage of the screw 90. The upper portion 88 of eachof the members 82 is pivotably attached to an overhanging member 98 bymeans of a pin 104 or other suitable pivoting device. In order to allowthe ski 22 to be able to sufficiently flex, these upper portions 88,similarly as shown in FIG. 2, are slidably attached to the heel portion32 by the pivotly-connected overhanging members 98 being slidablyreceived in a track, illustrated at 100, on the lower surface of heelportion 32. The track 100 comprises a pair of underhang or rail portions102 which are spaced apart a distance which is less than the width ofeach of the overhanging members 98 so that the overhanging members 98are retained slidably within the track 100. The track 100 may beopen-ended at one or both ends to allow the members 98 to be insertedinto the track 100 and is desirably long enough so that the members 98do not come out of the track 100 during skiing.

The placement of an adjustment screw so that it is rigidly attached tothe ski at the ski end of the “scissors” members, as in the aforesaidU.S. Pat. No. 4,007,946, detracts from the ability of the ski to flex asneeded. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the hinge 86 isinstead placed at the ski plate 36. In order to provide increasedstability, the “scissors” members 82 have a width which is generallyequal to the width of each of plates 28 and 36.

The present invention is not limited to the particular components forthe height adjustment assembly, which components are disclosed forexemplary purposes only. Thus, the present invention may be otherwiseembodied for providing the desired height adjustment while allowing theski to suitably flex. For example, the member 82 on the right side inFIGS. 5 and 6 may be removed, its corresponding elongate member 92suitably mounted to the track 100 (or plate 32) so that it can pivot(i.e., rotate about its longitudinal axis), and elongate member 91positioned to also serve as pin 104. This alternative assembly wouldthus allow pivoting at 104 and at the hinge 86 for height adjustmentwhile also still allowing the ski to suitably flex.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown generally at 110 analternative embodiment of the height adjustment assembly. The assembly110 comprises a member 112 pivotly mounted at pivot assembly 114 to theboot plate end portion 32 and another member 116 pivotly mounted atpivot assembly 118 to the ski plate 36. The pivot assemblies 114 and 118may each be similar to hinge 50. Member 116 has a portion 120 whichextends upwardly from hinge 116 to a point midway between the plates 28and 36 and a portion 122 extends therefrom generally normal thereto.Member 112 is similarly shaped; a portion 124 terminates at a pointmidway between the plates 28 and 36 and has a track (not shown) on eachside (similar to track 100 in FIGS. 5 and 6) in which is slidablyreceived member 116 to act as a backing or support for member 116 tothereby provide increased stability, and another portion 126 extendsfrom the hinge 114 and generally normal to portion 124. Thus, as seen inFIG. 7, the portions 122 and 126 are generally parallel to each otherand spaced vertically so that by drawing them together or apart the heelheight may be adjusted. Adjustment is provided by a pair of bolts orscrews 128 (one on each side, only one shown) having a head 130 and theshank 132 of which is received in an aperture in portion 126 and a nut134 applied thereto so that the portion 126 is disposed between the bolthead 130 and the nut 134. The nut 134, as seen in FIG. 8, has a roll pin136 which passes centrally through the nut (normal to the nut axis) andis received in an aperture in the shank 132 whereby the bolt 128 cannotbe moved axially but can be turned for providing height adjustment. Theshank 132 is threadedly received in a threaded aperture in the portion122. A locknut 138 is provided on the shank 132 to lockingly bearagainst the underside of the portion 122. Thus, by turning the bolt head130, the vertical distance between the portions 122 and 126 may easily,even while on the ski slopes, be increased or decreased to adjust theheel height. Each of the members 112 and 116 has a width generally equalto that of plates 28 and 36 to provide good stability. Since it isenvisioned that the assembly 110 may be difficult to mount as shown, itis believed that it may be more easily mounted at the rear edge of plate28.

FIG. 9 shows a conventional ski brake 150 applied to the ski 22. Whenthe heel height is adjusted as described herein, the ground engagingportion 152 of the brake 150 may be too high. In order to accommodatefor the increased height, in accordance with the present invention, theportion 152 is cut off, as illustrated at 154, and an adaptive groundengaging portion, illustrated generally at 156 in FIG. 10, applied tothe shank 158 of the brake 150. The adaptive portion 156 comprises atubular portion 159 in which the shank 158 is received, a groundengaging portion 160, which is similar to the cut-off portion 152, and ashank portion 162 for increasing the overall shank length to therebyposition the ground engaging portion 160 lower to compensate for theincreased heel height. The tubular portion 159 is suitably attached tothe shank portion 158 by a pair of axially spaced screws 164 received inapertures 166 in the tubular portion 159 and screwed into the shankportion 158 or by other suitable means. The length of the shank portion162 may, for example, be about 2 inches.

Referring to FIG. 10A, in accordance with an alternative embodiment ofthe present invention, in order to provide for adjustment of the lengthof the shank portion 162 to allow more precise brake height adjustment,an adapter member 200 having a ground engaging portion 202 and a shankportion 204 is attached to the shank portion 158 by a separate tubularportion 206. The term “ground,” as used herein and in the claims, ismeant to include “snow.” One end of the tubular portion 206 is slippedover the remaining shank portion 158 and attached thereto by a pair ofaxially spaced screws 208 received in apertures 210 respectively in theseparate tubular portion 206 and screwed into the shank portion 158 orby other suitable means. The shank portion 204 is cut, as illustrated at212, to achieve the desired brake length, and the remainder of the shankportion 204 is then received in the other end of the tubular portion 206and attached thereto by another pair of axially spaced screws 214received in apertures 216 respectively in the separate tubular portion206 and screwed into the shank portion 204 or by other suitable means.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, there is shown generally at 171 alateral adjustment assembly for plate 190, which plate serves the samefunction (attachment of bindings) as plate 28 in FIG. 1. The lateraladjustment assembly 171 includes a housing 191 having side walls 193joined by end walls 195 and a floor 197, the plate 190 being receivedover and spaced from the floor 197 and within the boundaries of thewalls 193 and 195. For increased structural integrity, the floor 197extends entirely over the length of the assembly 171, but it is notrequired that it do so. For example, floor portions may be provided ateach end of the assembly 171 for purposes which will become apparent. Anelongate rod 172 extends length-wise of the assembly 171 centrally ofthe width thereof, and the plate 190 rests thereon. The rod 172 issuitably fixedly received in and non-rotatably attached in a pair ofapertures, illustrated at 170, in the end walls 195 respectively toallow the plate 190 to tilt laterally about the rod 172. Alternatively,the rod 172 may be mounted so as to be rotatable within the apertures170, and the plate 190 may be attached fixedly to the rotatable rod. Thelateral adjustment assembly 171 is provided to allow the plate 190 to beadjusted, for example, plus or minus about 3 degrees laterally to adjustthe position laterally of the skier on the ski. A bolt or screw 174 isreceived in an unthreaded aperture 176 in each corner of the plate 190,and a nut 178 is screwed onto the bolt 174 so that the plate 190 issandwiched between the bolt head 180 and the nut 178, and a roll pin(similarly as shown for roll pin 136 in FIG. 8) is inserted through thenut 178 and bolt shank 182 whereby the bolt 174 is prevented fromvertical movement but can be turned to provide lateral adjustment. Thebolt 174 is threadedly received in a threaded aperture, illustrated at175, in the floor 197, whereby, by manipulation of the bolts 174 (i.e.,by screwing inwardly on the bolts on one side of the plate 190 and byscrewing outwardly a corresponding amount the bolts on the other sidethereof), the lateral orientation of the plate 190 may be adjusted. Thehousing 191 is formed to have a track 199, similar to tracks 62 and 100,depending downwardly from the rear end portion thereof for rear heightadjustment, and apertures 188 for receiving the pivot pin 41 (with theeyelet members 187 of plate 34 being disposed outwardly of the sidewalls 193 respectively) for pivotal movement of the assembly 171 at theforward end thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, there is shown generally at 200 a heightadjustment mechanism in accordance with an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention, the toe end portion having a hinged connectionsimilar to that shown at 40 in FIG. 1. Height adjustment is provided bya pair of members 202 and 204 having the complementary teeth orserrations 48, similarly as shown for the assembly 43 of FIG. 1, onfacing sides for interlockingly engaging each other. The member 202 ispivotly attached to the boot plate 28 as hereinafter described. Themember 204 is pivotly attached to ski plate 36 by a hinged connection 50similarly as shown for FIG. 1, including a hinge pin 206 which isreceived in an aperture, illustrated at 208, extending through a lowerportion of the member 204 and through apertures, illustrated at 210, ineyelet members 212 protruding from opposite sides of the plate 36.Similarly as shown in FIG. 2, the members 202 and 204 are adjustablyconnected by a pair of screws 216 receivable in laterally spacedcountersunk apertures, illustrated at 218, in member 202 and inlaterally spaced vertically elongate apertures, illustrated at 220, inmember 204, the head of one of the screws 216 illustrated at 222, andnuts and washers therefor illustrated at 224 and 226 respectively. Thus,the member 204 may be moved upwardly or downwardly relative to member202 then fixed at an adjusted position by the interlocking serrations 48engaging and by tightening of the nuts 224 on the screws 216 with theserrations interlocking with each other.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, inorder to be able to adjust the angle 42 to a very small angleapproaching zero degrees, the member 202 is pivotly attached to the rearend of the plate 28. Thus, the rear end of the plate 28 has a cut out,illustrated at 228, therein providing a pair of laterally spacedrearwardly extending protrusions 230. The member 202 is received in thecut out 228, and a pivot rod 232 is received in apertures, illustratedat 234, in the protrusions 230 and in an aperture, illustrated at 236,in the member 202. It should of course be understood that variations maybe made in the assembly 200 as well as the other assemblies discussedherein. For example, instead of a single pin 232 or a single pin 206, apair of short pins may be provided, each received on one side or theother of the respective member 202 and 204.

Referring to FIG. 26, there is illustrated a ski 22 having a built-intrack 240 extending over a portion of its length, it being understoodthat the track 240 could alternatively be a separate piece or piecesattached to the ski 22 and may be otherwise suitably shaped. The track240 comprises a pair of laterally spaced portions 242 each having avertical portion 244 and a portion 246 extending inwardly from the upperend of the vertical portion 244, thereby defining slots 248 in which theplate 36 is slidably received to allow suitable flexing of the ski 22during skiing. As seen wherein an end of the track is shown, the track240 is open-ended to allow the plate 36 to be inserted into the track240 and is desirably long enough so that the plate 36 does not come outof the track 240 during skiing. In this embodiment the plate 36 is notpivotally connected to serrated member 204 but may be otherwise suitablyattached thereto. It should be understood that the serrated plate 204 isotherwise attached to the plate 28 similarly as shown and discussedhereinbefore with respect to FIGS. 14 and 15. It should also beunderstood that it is within the scope of the present invention thatother embodiments in this specification may also utilize tracks on theskis 22 instead of on or in connection with the heel binding in order toallow suitable flexing of the ski 22 during skiing.

Referring to FIG. 16, there is shown generally at 300 a plate to whichtoe and heel bindings 24 and 26 (not shown in FIG. 16) are attached andwhich is height adjustably attachable to a ski 22 as discussedhereinbefore. The plate 300 has a toe end portion 302 and a heel endportion 304 which are similar to the toe and heel end portions 30 and 32respectively of FIG. 1. The plate 300 includes a generally flat portion314 upon which the bindings are attached and a pair of flange portions316 extending downwardly from the lateral edges of the flat portion 314.The toe end portion 302 is pivotly attached to a plate 306 which is inturn attached to the ski 22 by screws such as screws 38 in FIG. 1received in apertures, illustrated at 308, in the plate 306 andthreadedly received in apertures in the ski 22. The plate 306 is formedto have an upstanding tubular hinge portion 310, i.e., having a bore,illustrated at 318, extending laterally of the plates 300 and 306therethrough. Forward of the hinge portion 310 is an increased widthportion 312 of the plate 306, i.e., a portion which generally extends tothe lateral edges of the ski 22. While shown to be integrally formedwith the plate 306, it should be understood that the hinge portion 310may be a separate member which is welded or otherwise suitably securedto the plate 306. In order to pivotly attach the forward end of thebindings or boot plate 300 to the ski plate 306, a hinge pin 320 isreceived in the bore 318 and in apertures, illustrated at 322 in theforward ends of the flange portions 316. The flange portions 316 haverounded lower forward end corners, illustrated at 324, in order toprovide clearance with plate portion 312 during pivoting movementthereof. The plate 306 is of reduced width relative to the portion 312thereof so as to be able to fit between the flange portions 316.

Race plates have been provided to raise the boots and bindings above theskis for greater leverage. In order to accommodate almost any size boot,these race plates are often made long, for example, 24 inches. Thus, ifplate 300 were 24 inches long, it would accommodate the boots of all oralmost all skiers. However, since the plate 300 must be of sufficientthickness to suitably accommodate forces acting thereon, such a lengthundesirably increases the weight thus undesirably increasing the burdenof carrying the skis, especially for smaller people who have boot sizeswhich do not require such long plates. In order to reduce the carryingburden on smaller (as well as larger) persons while also accommodatinglarger boot sizes of larger persons, in accordance with the presentinvention, the bindings plate 300 is made to a relatively smaller lengthof, for example, 18 inches, and a decreased thickness extension 330 isattached to the top surface of flat plate portion 314 at the forward endportion 332 thereof to increase the length thereof by, for example,about 2 inches, to 20 inches overall. If desired, the extension may beprovided to increase the length thereof by, for example, about 4 inchesor longer, to 22 or more inches overall. The extension 330 is attachedto the plate 300 by screws 334, for example, 4 no. 10-32 flat headscrews, received in counterbored (to accommodate the flat heads)apertures, illustrated at 336, in the rearward end portion of theextension 330 and threadedly received in threaded apertures, illustratedat 338, in the forward end portion 332 of the flat plate portion 314.The forward end portion 331 of the lighter (less thickness) extensionthus extends forwardly beyond the plate 300 to increase the overallplate length by as much as 2 or more inches.

Snow may tend to build up and cake between the plate 300 and the ski 22.This is a type of problem which used to be encountered under boots withthe solution in recent years being that the soles of boots have beenconventionally contoured to allow the escape of the snow. In order toallow snow to escape from between the plate 300 and the ski 22 as wellas to reduce the carrying burden even more for both small and largepeople, a lightening cutout, illustrated at 340, is provided centrallyof the length of the plate 300 (between the attachments of thebindings). While the cutout 340 is shown to be rectangular in shape, itshould be understood that it may otherwise be suitably shaped orprovided in other ways such as a series of apertures.

The following dimensions of the plate 300 and extension 330 as well asother dimensions and examples contained herein (unless the contextclearly indicates otherwise) are for exemplary purposes only and not forpurposes of limitation. The overall length and width of plate portion314 may, for example, be about 18 inches and about 2¼ inchesrespectively. The flange portion height, illustrated at 342, may, forexample, be about ½ inch. The thickness of each of the plate and flangeportions 314 and 316 respectively may, for example, be about ¼ inch. Theextension 330 may have a length, width, and thickness of about 4 inches,about 2¼ inches, and about 3/16 inch respectively and is attached to theplate 300 so as to extend, for example, about 2 inches forwardlythereof. The cutout 340 begins, for example, about 4½ inches from theforward edge of the plate 300, extends lengthwise of the plate 300 adistance of, for example, about 4 inches, and extends widthwise, forexample, over the entire distance between the flange portions 316. Theplates 300, 306, and 330 are made of aluminum or other suitablematerial.

It should be understood that, while tracks such as at 62 in FIG. 2 or 74in FIG. 4 are shown on the boot plate (and of course may alternately bedirectly on the boot), they may alternatively be on the ski plate ordirectly on the ski.

It should be understood that, as used herein and in the claims, the term“serrations” is intended to include various teeth or saw-like notches orother suitable segments on one member which are formed to interlock withteeth or saw-like notches or other suitable segments on another member.For example, the serrations may have a staircase-like shape.

Referring to FIGS. 17 to 19, there is illustrated generally at 400another alternative embodiment of the ski binding of the presentinvention. In order to allow the heel portion to slide relative to theski 22 to enable sufficient and even ski flexion similarly as discussedwith respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, an elongate track member402 is suitably mounted on, such as by bolts or screws (not shown), ormay alternatively be integral with or built into, the upper surface ofthe ski 22. The track 402 has an increased width upper portion or lip404 defining a pair of elongate lateral protrusions or rails 405extending generally over the length of the track member 402 (but needonly extend enough over the track member length as needed for itspurpose as described hereinafter). For example, the track 402 and ski 22may be provided/sold pre-assembled (or integral) from a factory with thetrack 402 in a standard shape for receiving similarly standard-shapedtoe and heel piece bindings 24 and 26 respectively to allow adjustmentthereof longitudinally along the length of the ski 22, as is commonlyknown in the art. The track 402 is typically composed of molded plasticbut may be composed of metal or other suitable material.

A suitable member 406, which may be composed of molded plastic or metalor other suitable material, is fixedly attached or locked in place, suchas by one or more screws, bolts, pins, or other suitable fasteners orlocking devices, illustrated at 409, to the toe end portion 408 of thetrack 402, but alternatively the member 406 may be formed integral withthe track 402. The lower portion of the member 406 is suitably shaped sothat it can be slid onto and along the track 402. The member 406 has apair of laterally spaced upper ears 410 (one shown) between which thetoe end portion 30 of the plate 28 (for receiving the bindings) isreceived and pivotly attached by a pin 412 suitably received inapertures in the end portion 30 (adjacent the end of the plate 28) andears 410.

A block 414, which may be composed of molded plastic or metal or othersuitable material, has a pair of laterally spaced upper forward ears 416(one shown). The heel end portion 32 of the plate 28 is received betweenthe ears 416 and pivotly attached to the block 414 by suitable meanssuch as a pin 418 suitably received in apertures in the end portion 32(adjacent the end of the plate 28) and ears 416.

A block 420, which may be composed of molded plastic, metal, or othersuitable material, is formed to have a lower portion 421 suitably shapedto slide onto the rear end of and engage rail 402 for sliding of theblock 420 longitudinally of the ski 22 along the rail 402, asillustrated at 422. Thus, the lower surface of the block 420 has alongitudinal recess, illustrated at 424 in FIG. 19, the inner portion426 of which is widened to slidably receive the lateral rails 405. Theblock 420 has a surface 426 which has a series of serrations 428 whichinterlockingly engage complementary serrations 430 on a lower surface432 of the member 414 for height adjustably attaching the heel binding26 to the ski 22 as described in greater detail hereinafter.

Two vertically oriented members with interlocking serrations connectinga heel binding with a ski, such as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 of theaforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,736, may be considered to not provide asmuch stability as may be desired. In order to distribute the pressurebetter on the serrated surfaces so as to provide improved stability, theblock 420 is suitably formed so that the serrated surface 426 thereof isinclined. Thus, for example, as illustrated, it has a vertical rear wall434, an inclined wall 436 extending from the upper edge of the rear wall434 downwardly and forwardly to the forward edge of the bottom wall 438in which the recess 424 is contained, and a pair of generally triangularside walls 440, leaving a generally hollow space, illustrated at 442,which will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. As a result ofthe inclined surface 426, it can be seen in FIG. 17 that forces areapplied in a direction generally perpendicular or normal to the inclinedwall 436 of the block 420, as illustrated at 444, as well as generallyperpendicular or normal to the block 414, as illustrated at 446, whichcan better withstand the applied forces from the boot (i.e., forcesapplied when one is standing normally in the boot on the ski and duringnormal skiing) than if the forces were applied in a direction generallyparallel to the serrated surfaces to hereby achieve a more stableinterlocking attachment. By “generally perpendicular” or “generallynormal” of an applied force relative to a block surface or wall, as usedherein and in the claims, is meant that the force vector or component ofthe applied force in a direction normal or perpendicular to the surfaceor wall is greater than the force vector or component of the appliedforce in a direction parallel to the surface or wall. Preferably, theapplied forces from the boot are substantially normal or perpendicular(i.e., within about 10 degrees of being normal or perpendicular) to theblock surface or wall. Preferably, the surface 426 or wall 436 isinclined at an angle, illustrated at 454, between about 1 and 50degrees, for example, about 15 degrees. It may be as low as 1 degreebecause racers may already be well adjusted but may wish to fine tunetheir balance. The inclined surface 426 allows the height of the heelbinding 26 to be adjusted by adjusting the position of the inclinedblock 420 relative to the block 414 by adjustable movement thereoflongitudinally, as illustrated at 422, along the length of the track402. As seen in FIG. 17, movement of the inclined block 420 forwardly(toward the toe end 408) causes a higher portion of the block 420 toengage the block 414 so that the height of the heel binding 26 isadjusted higher.

In order to lock the inclined block 420 at a desired heel bindingheight, the inclined wall 436 has a pair of longitudinally extendingspaced parallel grooves, illustrated at 448, therein extendingtherethrough substantially over the length thereof. The block 414 has apair of similarly spaced apertures, illustrated at 450, extendingtherethrough. Bolts 452 or other suitable fasteners are received ingrooves 448 and apertures 450 respectively, as illustrated at 458, andnuts 456 applied and tightened to fix or lock the serrations 428 and 430together to lock the inclined block 420 in the position for the desiredheel binding height, illustrated at 458. The hollow space 442 isprovided to allow the bolts 452 to be placed in position. Preferably,the bolts 452 (or studs) are threadedly received tightly in threadedspaced (equal to the spacing between grooves 448) apertures, illustratedat 460, in a suitable plate 462 and their heads 464 (or stud ends) maybe welded to the plate 462. In order to adjust the position of theinclined block 420 for height adjustment, the nuts 456 are suitablyloosened and the inclined block 420 moved along the track 402 to thedesired new position, then the nuts 456 tightened at the new position.It is unnecessary that the nuts 456 be removed from the bolts 452 duringsuch adjustment. However, a stop member 466 may be applied to the end ofeach bolt 452 to prevent the respective nut 456 from becominginadvertently removed. The stop member 466 may, for example, be a nut orwasher or a pin welded or otherwise suitably fixed thereto. It should ofcourse be understood that the locking of the serrated surfaces in adesired position may be achieved by other suitable means such as, forexample, by the use of a single slot 448 and/or by the use of anothersuitable fastening mechanism such as, for example, a cam locking deviceused with the slot or slots 448. For another example, the plate 462 maybe dispensed with and the pair of bolts 452 may have heads large enoughso as not to pass through the slots 448. For another example, theinclined block 420 may be formed not to have the hollow space butinstead have a slot underneath the inclined wall 436 which allowsmovement of the plate 462 along the length of the inclined wall 436(which might require the inclined block 420 to be composed of two pieceswhich are then welded or otherwise suitably attached together and theplate 462 and bolts 452 placed in position before such attachment). Foranother example, the inclined block 420 may be formed to have two ormore narrow slots underneath the inclined wall 436 which allow movementof the heads of bolts (without a plate) along the length of the inclinedwall 436.

As previously discussed, the pre-assembled rail and ski may come indifferent configurations. For example, referring to FIG. 20, there isillustrated generally at 500 a combination of a ski 502 with an inclinedblock 420, with a track 504 formed or built into the ski 502. Thus, thetrack 504 is formed by a longitudinal recess, illustrated at 506, in theski 502, the inner or lower part 508 of the recess 506 being widened toprovide a track. In order to conform the inclined block 420 to becomplementarily received in the track 508, the lower part of theinclined block 420 is suitably formed to have a narrowed neck portion510 terminating there below in a widened head portion 512 which isslidable received in the track 508. It should of course be understoodthat a pre-assembled ski/track or other track or ski with built-in trackmay have various track shapes, and the inclined block 420 is suitablyconstructed to accommodate whatever the shape of the track.

It should be understood that an inclined block may be moved along atrack for height adjustment and held in an adjusted position by othermeans than interlocking serrations. Referring to FIGS. 21 to 24, thereis illustrated generally at 600 structure attached to ski 22 and to therear end of plate 28 (as an alternative to the blocks 414 and 420 inFIGS. 17 to 19). The structure 600 includes an inclined block 602 havinga lower portion formed to slidably receive track 402, similarly as inFIG. 19, and it should be understood that the track may be otherwisesuitably shaped such as shown in FIG. 20 and the block 602 suitablyshaped to be complementary thereto for sliding along the track.

The inclined block 602, which may be composed of molded plastic, metal,or other suitable material, has a longitudinal (along the length of theski 22) recess, illustrated at 604, in its upper surface, the recess 604having an inner laterally increased width portion, illustrated at 606,which defines laterally spaced tracks 608 having inclined upper surfaces610 on the laterally opposite sides. The inclined surfaces 610 extenddownwardly from the rear or heel end toward the front or toe end. Thebottom surface 612 of the recess 604 has a plurality of longitudinallyspaced indents or notches or recesses, illustrated at 614, suitablyformed therein generally laterally centrally thereof.

A block 616 has a generally cylindrical laterally extending portion 618which is received in a cutout, illustrated at 620, between a pair oflateral end portions 622 of the plate 28 (the end portions 622 definedby the cutout 620). A pin 624 is suitably received in each of theapertures, illustrated at 626 (one shown), in the end portions 622 andin an aperture, illustrated at 628, extending axially through the entirewidth of the generally cylindrical portion 618, thereby pivotallyconnecting the block 616 to the ski binding plate 28.

The block 616, which may be composed of molded plastic, metal, or othersuitable material, is formed to have a pair of upper portions 630 whichare laterally projecting so as to be positioned to ride on the inclinedsurfaces 610 respectively and a pair of lower portions 631 (one shown)which are also laterally projecting so as to be positioned to fit withinthe increased width portion 606 and underneath the tracks 608respectively so that the block 616 is lockingly but slidingly receivedon the tracks 608. The block 616 is further formed to have front andrear laterally centrally disposed walls 632 and 634 respectively (FIGS.22 and 23) extending downwardly from the generally cylindrical portion618 and between which is suitably centrally mounted to turn in place ascrew 636 having enlarged threads 638. For example, FIGS. 22 and 23 showthe thread 638 (i.e., two thread portions whose spacing is the same asthe spacing of the notches 614) engaging two of the notches 614. Thescrew 636 terminates at its ends in a pair respectively of reduceddiameter axle portions 640 which are rotatably received in verticalslots, illustrated at 646, in the walls 632 and 634 respectively, theslots 646 being recessed into the bottom surfaces 648 thereof, as bestseen in FIG. 24. The axle portions 640 are held in place (i.e., withoutfalling downwardly in or out of the slots 646) when the blocks 602 and616 are assembled with the relative position of the block 616 fixedsince it engages the tracks 608. The blocks 602 and 616 are assembled byholding the screw 636 in the slots 646 and, engaging the block 616 onthe tracks 608 from the end thereof while at the same time effectingengagement of the screw thread 638 with the first of the indents 614 andcontinuing to turn the screw 636 to advance the block 616 further ontothe tracks 608. As the screw 636 is turned (such as by a screwdriverreceived in slot 648 in the end surface of an axle portion 640), thethread 638 continues to successively engage notches 614 thus effectingmovement of the inclined block 602 longitudinally. Preferably, thesurface 610 is inclined at an angle, illustrated at 642 (which is thesame as previously discussed for the angle 454), relative to the lowersurface 643 of the block 602. The inclined surface 610 allows the heightof the heel binding 26 to be adjusted by adjusting the position of theinclined block 602 relative to the block 616 by adjustable movementthereof longitudinally, as illustrated at 644, along the length of thetracks 608. As seen in FIG. 21, movement of the inclined block 602forwardly (toward the toe end 408) causes a higher portion of the block602 to engage the block 616 so that the height of the heel binding 26 isadjusted higher.

The screw 636 may be otherwise suitably embodied. For example, referringto FIG. 25, there is shown a screw 650 comprising a rotatablecylindrical body 652 which has thread 638. The body 652 is disposedbetween and connected to the walls 632 and 634 by a cylindrical axle 654which is rotatably received in apertures, illustrated at 656, in thewalls 632 and 634 and in a bore, illustrated at 658, which extendsaxially through the screw 650, as illustrated at 660. The axle 654 isfixedly connected to the screw 636 by a pin 662 which is suitablyreceived in aligned radially extending apertures, illustrated at 664, inthe screw body 652 and in a radially extending aperture, illustrated at666, in the axle 654, as illustrated at 668, or otherwise suitablyconnected.

It should be understood that it is within the scope of the presentinvention that other suitable means may be provided for advancing block616 or other suitable block along the inclined surface of block 602 orother suitable block. For example, the indents 614 may instead be raisedbumps or projections, with the screw thread engaging between the bumpsfor advancing the block 616 along the inclined surface of block 602.

It should be understood that it is within the scope of the presentinvention that either of the blocks 414 or 616 be attached directly toheel binding rather than the plate 28. Thus, a recitation herein or inthe claims that a member engages or is attached to a boot or a heel ortoe portion thereof or to a ski is intended to mean that it is engagedor attached directly thereto or to a plate or track or other memberwhich is attached thereto. Likewise, a recitation that a member engagessuch a plate or track or other member is intended to include that it isengaged or attached to the boot or a heel or toe portion thereof or tothe ski.

Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, the boot 25 includes a lower shell 702which is made of rigid plastic or other suitably rigid material andwhich encases the skier's foot, illustrated at 700, for transferringmovement from the skier to the shell 702 then to the ski 22. The shell702 has a sole portion 704 the toe and heel end portions 706 and 708respectively of which are suitably and conventionally received inbindings 24 and 26 respectively. As is typical, the skier's foot andlower leg portion 700 are snugly received in a liner 710 composed of asuitably soft waterproof material providing warmth, and the liner 710 issnugly received in the shell 702. An upper rigid cuff or upper shell712, made of similar material as shell 702 is made, wraps around upperportions of the shell 702 and liner 710, and upper and lower buckles 714or other suitable means attach front edges of the cuff 712 to secure theparts of the boot 25 tightly together to tightly encase the foot andlower leg portion 710.

Good balance as well as mobility and flexion while skiing not onlydepends on the adjustment of the boot heel portion height, as discussedabove, but also on the contour of the footboard to match the optimumpositioning of the bottom of the foot itself as it fits within the boot25. Moreover, good balance as well as mobility and flexion in anyfootwear also depends on the contour of the footboard to match theoptimum positioning of the bottom of the foot itself as it fits withinthe footwear, including the heel to forefoot height differential,illustrated at 716. As used herein and in the claims, the heel toforefoot height differential is the difference in height of thefootboard or bootboard, illustrated at 718, between where the forefootrests, illustrated at 720, and where the heel rests, illustrated at 722,the footboard or bootboard 718 being the upper surface of the sole (orbuilt-up sole as described hereinafter with respect to FIG. 27) uponwhich a foot (or insole or liner such as liner 710 rests) within theboot 25 or other footwear. However, the desired footboard contour may beprovided by varying the thickness of the lower portion or bottom of theliner 710, whereby the liner 710 may be said to contribute to thebuilt-up sole, as described hereinafter, or by other suitable means.When the liner lower portion is thusly built-up, the footboard isalternately defined as the coutour of the surface of the bottom or lowerportion of the liner on which the foot rests.

Conventional ski boots which are not adjusted for this differential 716and other footboard contour may leave the numerous bones in the foot ina jammed or misaligned condition, which makes balancing and athleticmovement difficult for many skiers, especially women. In order toprovide better balance and athletic movement for a skier, the desired oroptimum differential 716 as well as other footboard contour, after it isdetermined as discussed hereinafter based on what is optimum for theindividual as perceived by the individual, is shown to be achieved bypositioning one or more inserts 724 of plastic or other suitablematerial and of the same or varying thicknesses between the liner 710and the sole 704, thereby providing a “built-up sole.” These inserts 724are shown to be held in place by, for example, one or more protrudingportions 726 on one insert 724 which are interlockingly received inindents 728 in an adjacent insert 724, it being understood that they maybe held in place by other suitable means such as screws. For example,the lower insert 724 may have a thickness (at the heel end) of about ½inch, and the upper inserts 724 may have a thickness (at the heel end)of about ⅛ inch, and all the inserts 724 suitably taper towards the toeportion to provide the arch, illustrated at 730, to suitably provide forthe resting of the arch of the foot thereon. Thus, the heel to forefootheight differential 716 in the boot 25 may, for example, be about ⅞inch.

The liner 710 may be a single piece with a cushionary bottom or it mayhave a cushionary member (insole) in the bottom which receives the foot.If the inserts 724 are suitably sized and shaped to provide the optimumfoot position, as discussed hereinafter, then it is unnecessary to alterthe conformable liner, which, being flexible, should suitably conformthereto.

The determination of the contour of the footboard 718 will be discussedhereinafter with respect to various footwear, it being understood thatthe discussion thereof will apply to the boot 25.

As seen at 732, the insertion of the inserts 724 results in a narrowedpassage for the foot. In order to accommodate for such a narrowing, theupper front of the shell 702 has a cut-out, illustrated at 734, whichprovides an opening over the foot instep to allow the liner 710 and thefoot received therein to protrude through the cut-out. To secure theforefoot, the liner 710 is provided with laces, illustrated at 736, orwith other suitable means such as, for example, Velcro material orstraps.

Unlike in a typical ski boot, the cut-out 734 does not allow the liner710 to be secured by the shell 702 extending over the forward portionthereof. In order to suitably secure the liner 710 so that, for example,the foot does not come out of the boot 25 if the skier leans back, thetoe portion of the liner 710 is suitably affixed to the toe portion ofthe sole 704 such as, for example, by one or more screws 738 eachreceived in an aperture, illustrated at 740, and threadedly received ina small rigid plate 742 suitably built into the liner 710 or by othersuitable fasteners or interlocking arrangements such as, for example,bolts or pins.

The cuff is typically attached to the shell of a ski boot with cammedfasteners or knobs or studs, such as in the above discussed Vento skiboot, which are advertised to allow longitudinal flex of the boot to beadjusted and to allow the cuff to be adjusted from a neutral position toan inwards or outwards tilt. Except as discussed herein, the boot 25 mayas applicable be similar to the Vento ski boot. Such flex and tiltadjustments may have the incidental consequence merely as a result oftheir functioning of effecting a small movement of the cuff 710vertically relative to the shell 702 of typically less than about ¼inch.

As the heel height is increased within the boot 25, the lower leg 700may extend higher above the cuff 710 than is comfortable or suitable,and, especially for a woman, her calf muscle, illustrated at 744, mayundesirably get moved forward. In order to provide for suitableplacement of the cuff 710 as the heel height is increased within theboot 25, in accordance with the present invention, the cuff 710 isheight adjustable relative to the shell 702. Such height adjustment maybe provided, for example, by one or more circumferentially spacedvertical slots, illustrated at 744, in the shell 702 (for example, 3such slots, one on either side of the boot and one in the back thereof).Referring to FIG. 28, for example, a screw 746 with a large head 748passes through a suitably sized bushing 750 that is suitably fitted in asuitably sized hole, illustrated at 752, in the cuff 710 then throughthe slot 744 then secured with a suitable nut 754. Nut 754 may, forexample, be a t-lock nut to grip the shell 702 around the slot 744 sothat the cuff 710 is secure and unable to move up and down.Alternatively, vertical adjustment may be made, for example, by, insteadof the slot 744, a series of vertically evenly spaced holes in each ofthe sides and back of the shell 702.

In order to provide adequate vertical adjustment to suitably accommodatethe various heel height changes that may be made, in accordance with thepresent invention, the height adjustability of the cuff 710 relative tothe shell 702 is at least about 1 inch (for example, about 2 inches) andaccordingly the length, illustrated at 756, of the slot 744 ispreferably at least about 1 inch (for example, about 2 inches).Preferably, the height adjustability of the cuff 710 relative to theshell 702 is at least equal to the maximum heel height change that mayoccur.

Referring to FIGS. 29 and 30, in order to build up the sole of ski boot25 (FIG. 27) or of other footwear such as shoe 800 (FIG. 34) to anoptimum contour/height, the contour of the bottom of the foot 802 isfirst measured/determined by use of a suitable apparatus such as theapparatus illustrated generally at 804. As used herein and in theclaims, the terms “shoe” and “footwear” are intended to include boots,sandals, slippers, and any other form of footwear as well as shoes.Apparatus 804 includes a toe end assembly, illustrated generally at 806,and a heel end assembly, illustrated generally at 808, which rest on agenerally horizontal surface such as provided by flat support member810. The assemblies 806 and 808 may be made of wood or other suitablematerial, for example, flat members discussed hereinafter may be boards.

The heel end assembly 808 includes a lower flat member 812 hingedlyconnected as by hinge, illustrated at 814, at its upper inner corner tothe lower inner corner of an upper flat member 816 providing an uppersurface 818. An elongate member (square of rectangular in cross-section)820 extends cross-wise of the assembly 808 and is suitably attached, asby gluing, to the lower surface of member 812 adjacent the inner endthereof, thus resulting in the member 812, with its outward end restingon the support member 810, being inclined upwardly as it extendsinwardly to the hinge 814. A wedge member 822, which may be similarlyshaped as member 820, is removably receivable between the flat members812 and 816 for reasons which will be discussed hereinafter.

The toe end assembly 806 includes a flat member 824 providing an uppersurface 826. A plurality of flat members 828, which may be of varyingthickness but need not be so, are removably receivable between the flatmember 824 and the support member 810 for reasons which will bediscussed hereinafter.

An assembly, illustrated generally at 830, interconnects the the upperinner ends of the flat members 816 and 824. The assembly 830, whoseparts may be composed of a suitable metal, includes a hinge 832 one leaf834 of which is suitably connected to flat member 816 as by spacedscrews 836 and the other leaf 838 of which is connected to plate 840 asby rivets 842. The assembly 830 similarly includes a hinge 844 one leaf846 of which is suitably connected to flat member 824 as by spacedscrews 848 and the other leaf 850 of which is connected to plate 852 asby rivets 854. Plate 840 has a pair of laterally spaced elongate slots,illustrated at 856, which extend in a direction toward and away from theflat members 816 and 824. Plate 852 similarly has a pair of laterallyspaced elongate slots, illustrated at 858, which also extend in adirection toward and away from the flat members 816 and 824. The plates840 and 852 vertically overlap each other so that their respective slots856 and 858 are alignable, and a screw 860 is receivable in eachrespective pair of aligned slots 856 and 858 and secured by a wing nut862 to connect the plates 840 and 852.

In order to use the apparatus 804, a mark, illustrated at 864, is placedon the foot 802 at the forward end of the heel 866. The length,illustrated at 868, of the foot arch is measured, the foot arch beingfrom mark 864 forward to the fifth metatarsal joint (near the rear ofthe ball of the foot). The distance, illustrated at 870, between theflat members 816 and 824 is adjusted so that it is equal to the distance868. The foot 802 is then placed on the surfaces 818 and 826 with themark 864 (or forward end of the heel 866) aligned with the hinge 832 sothat the foot arch extends between the flat members 816 and 824, withthe heel of the foot 802 resting on the flat member 816 and the ball ofthe foot 802 resting on the flat member 824, as illustrated in FIG. 30.

The difference in height, illustrated at 872, between the surfaces 818and 826 when the foot 802 is in the optimum position (determined asdiscussed hereinafter) is the desired heel to forefoot heightdifferential 716 for the footwear 800 as well as for boot 25. To testthe foot 802 in different positions, one may start with the surface 818level by moving the wedge 822 back and forth, as illustrated at 874,until surface 818 becomes level. One may also start by adjusting theheight of flat member 824, by suitable addition of shims 828, untilsurface 826 is at the same height as surface 818. However, one may startat different positions. Then, as shims 828 are added or subtracted,balance and mobility and flexion are tested at each of different heights872 by having the person roll the feet/ankles, forward flex, and thelike, until he reports a height at which he feels that he has the bestbalance and mobility and flexion. In most cases, it is expected thatthis optimal height 872 is with the forefoot lower, as illustrated inFIG. 29, but it could be with the forefoot higher. The angle at thisoptimum height 872 is measured with the angle measuring device 876,which is a different way of measuring the heel to forefoot heightdifferential 716 (FIG. 43), as discussed hereinafter.

Not only is it considered important to provide the optimum heel toforefoot height differential in the footwear 800, but it is alsoconsidered important for optimal balance and mobility and flexion thatthe heel angle, illustrated at 878, be optimal. In accordance with thepresent invention, in order to determine the optimal heel angle (theangle of the heel portion of the footboard), the wedge 822 is moved backand forth, as illustrated at 874, thereby changing the heel angle 878,the balance and mobility and flexion are tested at each of differentheel angles 878 by having the person roll, forward flex, and the like,until he reports a heel angle 878 at which he feels that he has the bestbalance and mobility and flexion. This optimum heel angle 878 is alsomeasured with the angle measuring device 876, as discussed hereinafter.The apparatus 804 is retained in the optimal position for heel toforefoot height differential and heel angle for use at that optimalposition as discussed hereinafter. It should be understood thatapparatus 804 may be embodied differently to provide a determination ofoptimal heel to forefoot height differential and heel angle, and suchother embodiments of the apparatus 804 are meant to come within thescope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 32, the angle measuring device 876 comprises a pair offlat parallel bars 880 and 882 which will extend generally verticallyduring normal use and a pair of flat upper and lower parallel bars 884and 886 respectively pivotly connecting the upper ends and lower endsrespectively of bars 880 and 882 as by screws 888 or other suitablefasteners which allow the bars to pivot or rotate relative to eachother. The screws 888 define pivot points. The distance between theupper pivot points is equal to the distance between the lower pivotpoints 888, and the distance between the left-side pivot points 888 isequal to the distance between the right-side pivot points 888. Each ofthe bars 880, 882, 884, and 886 may have, for example, a width of about½ inch and a thickness of about 1/16 inch and be made of aluminum,steel, stainless steel, or other suitable material. The bars 880, 882,884, and 886 are thus seen to form the shape of a parallelogram nomatter in what position they are pivoted to. The vertical bars 880 and882 do not extend beyond the bar 884 for reasons to be discussedhereinafter.

The vertical bar 880 extends downwardly beyond the lower bar 886 a shortdistance, illustrated at 891 (FIG. 29) of, for example, about ⅜ inch todefine a portion 890 providing a first contact point, illustrated at892, to engage one end of a surface whose angle is to be measured. Thelower bar 886 extends beyond the other vertical bar 882 a distance,illustrated at 901 (FIG. 33), of, for example, about 3½ inches, therebyproviding a portion 900 which supports a short vertically extendingstructure 896 which extends below the lower bar 886 a distance,illustrated at 894 (FIG. 29), which is substantially the same distanceas distance 891 (FIG. 29), to provide a second contact point,illustrated at 898, to engage the other end of the surface whose angleis to be measured.

The structure 896 is adjustably movable along the length of bar portion900 to adjust to the distance (between points 892 and 898) over whichthe angle of surface slope or incline (defined for the purposes of thisspecification and the claims as the angle of the differential betweenthe heights of the surface at points 892 and 898) is to be measured.

As seen in FIG. 29, structure 896 comprises a flat bar which is bent towrap around the top edge of portion 900 and to extend below the bottomedge of portion 900, and the resulting forward and rear portions areconnected just below the bottom edge of portion 900 by screw or othersuitable fastener 902 so that the structure 896 is adjustably movablealong the length of portion 900 but tightly held in an adjusted positionso that it does not inadvertently move from that position while makingmeasurements. A cut-out (not shown) is provided in an end of thestructure flat bar and the resulting tabs 904 on the lateral sidesthereof are bent forwardly to engage the lateral sides of the structureflat bar to further secure it on portion 900.

Referring to FIG. 37, there is shown generally at 906 an alternativeform of the structure 896, wherein the end edge of bar 886 isillustrated at 908. Alternative structure 906 includes a pair of flatbars 910 which sandwich bar 886 and upper and lower shims 912therebetween, the bars 910 and shims 912 held tightly together by upperand lower rivets 914 respectively so that, like structure 896, thestructure 906 is adjustably movable along the length of portion 900 buttightly held in an adjusted position so that it does not inadvertentlymove from that position while making measurements. It should beunderstood that the angle measuring device 876 and the structures 896and 906 may be otherwise suitably embodied, and such other embodimentsare meant to come within the scope of the present invention as definedby the claims.

In order to determine the optimum heel to forefoot height differentialfor the foot 802 as determined by use of the apparatus 804 of FIGS. 29and 30, the angle measurement device 876 is placed as illustrated inFIG. 29 with the points 892 and 898 engaging the flat members 816 and824 respectively. Since the device flat bars 880, 882, 884, and 886 formthe shape of a parallelogram no matter in what position they are pivotedto, the angle at which lower bar 886 extends is the same as the angle atwhich upper bar 884 extends, which means that the heel to forefootheight differential 872 can be determined by engaging a conventionalinclinometer 916 along the length of bar 884 and reading from theinclinometer the angle of the slope or incline thereof. This of courserequires that the member 810 provide a level surface, and to the extentthat it doesn't, it may affect the accuracy of the measurement.

The angle determined to be optimum for the heel to forefoot heightdifferential with reference to FIGS. 29 and 30 is the angle which it isdesired to provide for the heel to forefoot height differential in thefootwear 800 for the foot 802. Referring to FIG. 33, there isillustrated the use of the angle measurement device 876 for determiningthe angle of the heel to forefoot height differential 873 in thefootwear 800. Thus, the point 898 engages the point illustrated at 918on the shoe footboard, illustrated at 920, that the metatarsal heads ofthe foot 802 rest upon, and the point 892 engages the point illustratedat 922 on the shoe footboard 920 that the heel of the foot 802 restsupon, it being important that the length between the points 892 and 898be the same for the measurement in FIG. 33 as for the correspondingmeasurement in FIG. 29 and that the shoe 800 rest on a level surface toinsure an accurate measurement.

Referring to FIG. 34, in order to determine the optimum heel angle 878as determined by the apparatus 804 of FIGS. 29 and 30 and the heel angle878 of the corresponding shoe 800, the angle measurement device 876 isturned upside down so that the upper bar engages over the length of theheel portion 924 of the shoe footboard 920 (the shoe 800 being shown inFIGS. 33 and 34 with the insole removed therefrom). Again, since thebars 880, 882, 884, and 886 define a parallelogram no matter in whatposition they are in and since bar 886 is thus parallel to bar 884, theangle 878 can be measured by engaging the inclinometer or angleindicator 916 along the length of bar 886 and read therefrom the angle,it again being important that the shoe 800 rest on a level surface toinsure an accurate measurement.

It should of course be understood that the measurements for theapparatus 804 and corresponding measurements in the shoe 800 can beaccurately compared as long as each measurement is obtained while theapparatus 804 and the shoe 800 are on the same or similarly inclinedsurfaces.

In order to unobstructively and conveniently make measurements insidetypical shoes/boots, as illustrated in FIGS. 33 and 34, the verticalbars 880 and 882 are desirably long enough to extend above the top ofthe shoes/boots, and the upper bar is desirably short enough to fitwithin the shoe opening, illustrated at 926. In addition, the length ofthe lower bar 886 is desirably short enough that it can fit easily intothe shoe/boot 800 while allowing sufficient adjustment of the distancebetween points 892 and 898. Accordingly, the length, illustrated at 928,of bar 882 is preferably at least about 9 inches, more preferably atleast about 12 inches, with the bar 880 extending an added distanceequal to the length 891 (in the range of about ¼ inch to ½ inch) ofportion 890. The length, illustrated at 930, of bar 884 is preferablyless than about 3 inches, for example, about 2½ inches. The length,illustrated at 932, of the lower bar 886 is preferably about 6 inches orless. While these dimensions are considered preferred for a typicalshoe/boot, they may of course vary depending on shoe type/size.

Referring to FIGS. 35 and 36, there is shown at 934 an attachment to theangle measuring device 876 for determining the difference, illustratedat 936, between the determined (at 872 in FIG. 29) optimum heel toforefoot height differential and the determined (at 873 in FIG. 33)actual heel to forefoot height differential in a shoe 800 being or to betailored for the optimum heel to forefoot height differential 872. Theattachment 934 comprises an elongate bar 938 which extends verticallyalong side the lower portion of the vertical bar 880 and may besimilarly sized in width and thickness. A pair of vertically spacedupper and lower sleeves 940 and 942 respectively are integral with orwelded or otherwise suitably attached to the bar 938 and each beingsized to tightly grasp the bar 938 but allowing the attachment 934 to bemovable along the length thereof. The upper sleeve 940 is preferablyattached to the upper end of bar 938. The lower sleeve 942 is spacedfrom the lower end of bar 938 which lower end defines a measuring pointillustrated at 944. The attachment 934 may be suitably molded of plasticor suitably made of cast steel or other metal with the sleeves 940 and942 suitably welded to the bar 938. The attachment 934 is mounted on thebar 880 before the bar 886 is attached to the bar 880 by screw 888. Thespacing between the sleeves 940 and 942, for example, about 1 inch, isselected to allow the attachment 934 to be slid upwardly so that point944 is even with (at the same height as) point 892 and to be slid fromthat position downwardly sufficiently to make the hereinafter describedmeasurements.

To determine the amount of added thickness 936 needed in the shoe 800(if such added thickness is needed) to achieve the determined optimumheel to forefoot height differential 872, the attachment 934 is slidupwardly until the points 934 and 892 are even with each other. Whileusing inclinometer 916, the bar 886 is moved to the angle correspondingto the determined optimum heel to forefoot height differential 872 (thepoint 892 being above the heel), and the attachment 934 is sliddownwardly until point 944 contacts the heel surface of the shoe 800.The distance 936 is then a measure of the added heel lift thicknessneeded in the shoe 800 to achieve the determined optimum heel toforefoot height differential 872.

Once the optimum heel to forefoot height differential 872 and heel angle878 are determined, heel lifts of various thicknesses and tapers, asneeded, as illustrated at 724 in FIG. 27 and as illustrated compositelyat 946 in FIG. 43, are mounted in the shoe 800 to tailor the shoe tothat optimum heel to forefoot height differential 872 and heel angle878, utilizing the angle measurement device 876, as hereinbeforediscussed, and utilizing principles commonly known to those of ordinaryskill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

After the heel is built up to the determined optimum heel to forefootheight differential 872 and heel angle 878, an insole, illustrated at948 in FIGS. 42 and 43, is custom formed to fit the impression of thefoot and suitably placed over the built-up heel 946 and forefoot, in amanner in accordance with the present invention, as discussedhereinafter, so that its upper surface conforms to the footboard 718. Acustom insole is typically formed by forming an impression of the footlower surface by placing the foot in a beaded bladder or other form suchas casting foam and heating a custom insole blank and conforming it tothe foot surface impression, then putting the cooled custom insole intothe built-up shoe for the foot. Undesirably, the bottom surface of sucha custom insole may not suitably correspond to the upper surface of thebuilt-up sole. This is because, when the heel height and angle that thecustom insole is placed upon is changed, unless the corresponding bottomsurface of the insole is changed in the same way, the foot mayundesirably be taken out of the desired subtalar neutral position,resulting in an unbalanced locked-up foot—the same type of conditionwhich it is desired to avoid by the building up of the heel. Inaddition, the arch may no longer conform properly with the arch of sucha custom insole, resulting undesirably in the arch of the person's footbeing forced to change, again undesirably resulting in jammed footbones.

In order to provide a footboard 718 suitably to prevent or reduce suchmisalignment or jamming of foot bones, in accordance with the presentinvention, the bottom surface of the custom insole 948 is conformed tothe upper surface of the built-up sole 946 as described hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 38, there is shown at 950 a rectangular (or otherwisesuitably shaped) piece of casting foam in which, after it is altered tothe form illustrated at 951 in FIGS. 40 and 41, the foot 802 is placedto form an impression, illustrated at 952, of the foot bottom, asillustrated in FIG. 40. A suitable casting foam is marketed as Treadeasyprofessional casting foam by Prime Materials Corporation of Batavia,N.Y. (see the earlier reference to the Treadway web site). In order toconform the upper surface 718 of the custom insole 948 to the uppersurface 954 of the built-up sole 946, the lower surface of the castingblock 950 must first be formed to the shape 951 of the built-up sole946, i.e., formed to have the determined optimum heel to forefoot heightdifferential 872 and heel angle 878 as well as arch length 870. If thefoam block 950 is bent or mushed to attempt to form the shape 951, theimpression may be distorted. Therefore, in order to suitably form theblock 950 to achieve an undistorted shape 951 of the built-up sole 946,the shape is cut or severed from the block 950 as illustrated at 958. Inorder to do so, the lower surface 956 of the foam block 950 is suitablycut with a knife or other blade, illustrated at 963, to sever theportion illustrated at 961 and thereby form the lower surface 956 tohave the determined optimum heel to forefoot height differential 872 andheel angle 878 as well as arch length 870.

Alternatively, the bottom surface 956 may be shaped by use of theapparatus illustrated generally at 960. The casting block 950 isreceived on a platform 962 one end portion of which is received within aframe 964 which has a bottom wall 966 and a pair of side walls 968 whichextend above the platform 962. On each wall 968 are provided a pair oflongitudinally spaced vertical slots, illustrated at 970, which allowthe frame 964 to be height-adjustably attached to the platform 962 bywing screws 971 (or other suitable fasteners) received in the slots 970and in corresponding threaded apertures (not shown) in the platform 962.This allows height adjustment of the frame 964 relative to the uppersurface of the platform 962 (for example, from flush with the platformupper surface to about 1 inch above the platform upper surface) therebyvertically positioning a blade 972 received in tracks or grooves 974 inthe inner surfaces of the side walls 968 for pushing longitudinally, asillustrated at 976, to make the cut in the foam block 950 which isillustrated at 978, to correspond to the determined optimum heel toforefoot height differential 872. The longitudinal spacing of the slots970 allows the corresponding longitudinal spaced portions of the frame964 to be adjusted to different heights to thereby tilt or incline thetracks 974 so that the cut 978 can be made at an angle corresponding tothe determined heel angle 878.

In order to form the cut illustrated at 980 in the foam block 950, afixture 982 is mounted on one side of the platform 962. A portion 984 ofthe fixture 982 is mounted to the platform 962 by a wing screw 986 (orother suitable fastener) received in an aperture, illustrated at 988, inthe portion 984 and threadedly received in a nut (not shown) which isheld in a longitudinally extending T-slot, illustrated at 990, whichallows the fixture 982 to be adjustably positioned along the length ofT-slot 990 as needed for the determined length 870 of the arch. Thefixture 982 has a portion 992 normal to portion 984 which supports apair of lips 994 between which a blade or cutter 996 is receivablethereby providing a track for holding and guiding the blade 996 for itsmovement cross-wise of the platform 962, as illustrated at 998, formaking the cut 980 of the desired length 870. It should be noted thatthe fixture 982 is rotatable about wing screw 986 so that the track 994is adjustably inclined to conform to the desired angle of the cut 980.During the making of the cut 980, an edge portion 1000 (opposite fromthe edge portion received in the track 994) of the blade 996 may rest onthe end portion of the blade 972 when blade 972 is pushed all the wayin. It should of course be understood that the present invention is notlimited to the apparatus and process for making the cuts 958 and 980 asdisclosed herein, and other embodiments thereof are meant to come withinthe scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 40, the formed block 951 is placed on the measuringdevice 804 (shown in FIGS. 29 and 30 and illustrated schematically inFIG. 40). If not already placed as discussed with reference to FIG. 31,the mark 864 is placed on the foot 802 at the forward end of the heel,and the foot 802 is pressed or caused to sink into the altered castingfoam 951 with the mark 864 lined up with the hinge 832, so that the footarch extends between the flat members 816 and 824, and with the foot 802in a subtalar position well known to podiatrists and others of ordinaryskill in the art to which the present invention pertains. The forwardend of the impression is illustrated at 953. Alternatively, a measuringdevice could be used while using apparatus 804 (FIGS. 29 and 30) toindicate the forward end of the heel and this mark location used foraligning the altered foam block 951 and the foot 802. The foot 802 maybe aligned with the apparatus 804 in other suitable ways. In this way,the forefoot is pressed further into the foam 951 than the heel ispressed (since member 824 offers resistance at a lower height thanmember 816 does) thus to thereby re-create the determined optimum heelto forefoot height differential 872 and heel angle 878 as well as archlength 870, as seen in FIG. 40, whereby the impression 952 of the footbottom may be made at the optimum heights and angles.

Referring to FIG. 41, the altered foam block 951 carrying the footbottom impression 952 may now have the severed portion 961 matchedtherewith and put back in the box the foam block 950 came in (or thealtered foam block 951 otherwise suitably leveled as desired) andplaster of paris or other suitable casting material poured into thespace containing the foot bottom impression 952 and allowed to harden.The resulting cast block, shown at 1002 in FIG. 42, containing the footbottom impression 952 is suitably removed from the foam block 951.

It should of course be understood that other suitable means such as, forexample, a beaded bladder, may be used to form the foot bottomimpression, and such other means are meant to come within the scope ofthe present invention as defined in the appended claims.

A suitable insole blank 948 (which may typically be a generally flatsheet having a generally uniform thickness and which may have a softeror more flexible or cushion-like upper portion 1004 over its length anda more rigid lower portion 1006 over generally the heel and arch areasto hold the form thereof, although the lower portion 1006 may extend allthe way to the toes) is suitably heated (placed in hot water orotherwise as suitable) to a suitable temperature as may be recommendedby the manufacturer (for example, about 180 degrees F.). The heatedblank 948 is then placed on the foot bottom impression surface 952 ofthe cast block 1002 and allowed to conform thereto and cool, thereby todesirably conform the thusly tailored insole 948 to the upper surface ofthe built-up sole as well as to the foot. The tailored insole 948 isthen placed in the shoe 800 over the built-up sole 946 to therebyachieve an insole surface which conforms to the surface of the built-upsole so that the built-up sole and conforming insole are both contouredto optimize balance and/or mobility and/or flexion.

As previously discussed, the heel height of a ski boot is adjusted alongwith providing a optimum bootboard contour in the boot in order tooptimize balance and/or mobility and/or flexion while skiing.

In accordance with the present invention, a line of shoes or otherfootwear is marketed wherein each shoe size (currently sized in lengthand width) is also sized in various increments of heel to forefootheight differentials 872 and may be further sized in various incrementsof heel angle 878 and/or arch length 870. The customers would be sizedutilizing the principles disclosed herein. In order to reduce shopkeeperinventory, the manufacturer may sell to the shopkeeper as the orders arereceived and may wait to make a particular sized shoe until the order isreceived.

It should be understood that, while the present invention has beendescribed in detail herein, the invention can be embodied otherwisewithout departing from the principles thereof, and such otherembodiments are meant to come within the scope of the present inventionas defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for use with an inclinometer formeasuring angle of heel to forefoot height differential of a shoe, thedevice comprising four bars pivotally connected to define aparallelogram wherein each pair of opposite ones of said bars areparallel, and the device further comprising means for positioning thedevice inside a shoe so that a lower of said bars is inclined at theangle of heel to forefoot height differential of a shoe and so that anupper of said bars is disposed above an opening of the shoe, whereby,with the shoe on a level surface, the measured inclination of said upperbar is equal to the angle of heel to forefoot height differential of theshoe.
 2. A device for use with an inclinometer for measuring angle of aheight differential between two points of a surface, the devicecomprising first, second, third, and fourth bars, said first and secondbars pivotally attached to said third bar at first and second pivotpoints respectively, said first and second bars pivotally attached tosaid fourth bar at third and fourth pivot points respectively, whereindistance between said first and second pivot points is equal to distancebetween said third and fourth pivot points, wherein distance betweensaid first and third pivot points is equal to distance between saidsecond and fourth pivot points, wherein said second bar extends beyondsaid fourth bar to a terminal end to define at said terminal end a firstcontact point, wherein said fourth bar has a portion which extendsbeyond said first bar, and the device further comprising a member whichis adjustably positionable along the length of said portion and whichextends from said portion the same distance that said second bar extendsbeyond said fourth bar to define a second contact point, whereby withthe first and second contact points contacting two points respectivelyof a surface, a measurement of the angle of height differential of saidthird bar is equal to the angle of height differential between the twopoints of the surface.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein thelengths of said first and second bars are such that the device isinsertable into a shoe for measurement of angle of heel to forefootheight differential of a shoe with the third bar disposed out of theshoe.
 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the lengths of said firstand second bars are such that the device has a height of at least about9 inches.
 5. A device according to claim 3 wherein the lengths of saidfirst and second bars are such that the device has a height of at leastabout 12 inches so that the device is insertable into a boot formeasurement of angle of heel to forefoot height differential of theboot.
 6. A device according to claim 2 wherein the length of the thirdbar is less than about 3 inches, and the length of the fourth bar isless than about 6 inches.
 7. A device according to claim 2 furthercomprising an attachment which is formed to slidably engage said secondbar to provide a contact point to engage and determine heightdifferential of a surface point between actual position thereof and aposition thereof when at a selected angle of height differential.
 8. Adevice according to claim 2 wherein said first and second bars do notextend beyond said third bar whereby the device is invertible to contactsaid third bar along a surface to measure the angle of incline thereofby measuring the angle of incline of said fourth bar.
 9. A deviceaccording to claim 2 wherein the device is sized to measure angle ofheel to forefoot differential of a shoe.
 10. A method for measuringangle of a height differential between two points of a surface, themethod comprising: providing a device which comprises first, second,third, and fourth bars, the first and second bars pivotally attached tothe third bar at first and second pivot points respectively, the firstand second bars pivotally attached to the fourth bar at third and fourthpivot points respectively, wherein distance between the first and secondpivot points is equal to distance between the third and fourth pivotpoints, wherein distance between the first and third pivot points isequal to distance between the second and fourth pivot points, whereinthe second bar extends beyond the fourth bar to a terminal end thereofto thereby define a first contact point, wherein the fourth bar has aportion which extends beyond the first bar and includes a member whoseposition along the length of the portion is adjustable and which extendsfrom said portion the same distance that said second bar extends beyondsaid fourth bar to define a second contact point; adjusting the positionof the member along the fourth bar portion so that the distance betweenthe first and second contact points is equal to the distance between thetwo points of the surface; contacting the first and second contactpoints to the two points respectively of the surface; and measuring theangle of height differential of the third bar while the two points ofthe surface are contacted by the first and second contact pointsrespectively; whereby the angle of height differential between the twopoints of the surface is equal to the measured angle of heightdifferential of the third bar.
 11. A method according to claim 10wherein the two points are the heel and forefoot of a shoe, the methodincluding inserting the device into the shoe so that the two pointscontact the heel and forefoot of the shoe and so that the third bar isabove the shoe, whereby the angle of heel to forefoot heightdifferential of the shoe is equal to the measured angle of heightdifferential of the third bar.